Privatizing a state-run prison in Avoyelles Parish might save the state some money, but it would come at a steep cost to state workers and public safety, according to a new commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project. Still, the Legislature deserves praise for scrapping an earlier plan to sell the Avoyelles Correctional Center.
With the April 17 tax deadline looming, it’s a good time look not just at what we pay to the government each year but what we all get in return. Because while no one especially enjoys paying taxes, they are the essential building blocks of a fair and open society that gives every citizen the chance to reach their full potential.
The Reminder of Tax Day Read More »
While most other states exempt working-poor families from the income tax, Louisiana is one of a small number of states that continue to levy an income tax on working families living in poverty. By reducing state income taxes for working-poor families, Louisiana could help these families work their way toward the middle-class, according to an annual report on state income tax trends.
Report: Louisiana Taxes Working-Poor Further Into Poverty Read More »
View “Payday Lending in Louisiana” where LBP analyst Tim Mathis examinesthe predatory loan industry shares his findings on how it impacts Louisiana’s working poor.
New Audio/Visual Presentations from LBP Read More »
The first week of the 2012 Legislature was unlike any opening weeks that had come before. In the span of two days of marathon hearings, the education committees in the House and Senate approved a massive overhaul of Louisiana’s K-12 public education system by lopsided margins.
Accountability Takes a Beating in Round One Read More »
With Louisiana facing a $12.7 billion backlog of unmet construction needs on its roads, bridges and ports, a new report finds that the purchasing power of the state’s gasoline tax is at a 20-year low.
Louisiana losing ground on the gas tax Read More »
Dozens of America’s largest and most profitable corporations paid little or no state income taxes during a recent three-year period, according to a new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Study: Half of corporate profits escape state income tax Read More »
An article in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week highlighted the importance of SNAP (which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) to Louisiana families. The article noted that, in August, nearly 20 percent of the state’s population—more than 900,000 people—received food stamps benefits under SNAP. Nationwide, the number was 15 percent of the population.
One in Five Louisianans Receive Food Stamps Read More »
